Sick Days
by voice of morgoth
Summary: Mabel catches a bad cold, so it's up to young Dipper to care for her. Warning: hints at future pinecest.


The sun is high in the sky on the chilled Californian day as little feet stomp through the grass.

"Dipper, get back here you poop!" Mabel shouts.

"No, I want it!" Dipper yells back. The selfish seven year old darts around the lawn carrying a jagged stone. Dipper had found what he thought to be the tip of a Native American's spear. Mabel had tried to force him to show her, but Dipper wanted it for himself. He took off running to keep his new trinket away from Mabel, who would do all sorts of girly things to the rock were she to get her hands on it. She would color it pink and draw googily eyes on it, or cover it in glitter, or simply give it a little dress. Dipper would not allow such a travesty to befall the precious item. The twins run in circles as Dipper attempts to tire out his sister. Mabel trips and falls, scratching her leg on another rock in the grass. Mabel's leg is cut open and blood begins oozing out of the wound.

"It's mine!" Dipper shouts before realizing that the sound of Mabel's feet are no longer behind him. Dipper turns around and sees Mabel holding her leg. Mabel begins wailing as tears pour down her face. Dipper runs over without hesitation to see if Mabel is alright.

"Mabel, are you okay?" Dipper asks worriedly. Dipper receives a kick in the chest for his concerned nature. Mabel snatches the rock out of Dipper's hands and runs off. Dipper rises to his feet and begins chasing his sister as he holds his stomach in pain.

"Dang it, Mabel!" Dipper shouts as he chases his crying sister into the house. Mabel sits on the couch next to the twins' father.

"Dipper won't let me look at the spear!" Mabel says, trying to bring Mr. Pines over to her side.

"You'll wreck it!" Dipper yells. Dipper and Mabel begin bickering and arguing with each other while their father watches the twins with an amused smirk. Just as the conflict begins to turn physical, Mr. Pines interferes.

"Kids, stop fighting or I'm taking the rock away." Mr. Pines says firmly.

"But-but." Mabel and Dipper mumble together.

"Enough. Why are you fighting over it, anyways?"

Mabel shows her father the triangular rock. He takes it in his hand and looks at it, amused that the twins were fighting over something so small.

"It's a spear. Indians must have left it here." Dipper says.

"Sorry, but it's just a rock."

"What?" Dipper says, sounding like his hopes and dreams have been shattered.

"Any Indian weapons would have been found already."

Dipper looks down sadly as the twins' father hands the rock back to Dipper.

"You can have the rock." Dipper says gloomily as he hands it over to Mabel.

"Yes." Mabel says as she begins wiggling in a victory dance. The twins' father pats her on the head and spots her red knee.

"Oh, you need a Band-Aid. Don't need you getting an infection." Mr. Pines says. The twins' father takes Mabel to the bathroom to clean her wound while Dipper goes to the twins' room. The room seems to be pieces of two different rooms smashed together. On the side near the window, the room is bright pink. The walls are covered with posters of silly animals and comic book characters. The bed is covered in glitter that Mabel spilled on the blanket one day. Dipper's side of the room is plain and blue, save for a small desk near his bed. The twins' video games are under Dipper's bed, while Mabel keeps her strange arts and crafts supplies under her bed. The television is placed in the center of the room, allowing the twins to have an equal view from their beds.

Dipper walks in and turns on one of his games, playing while pouting to himself. Dipper doesn't notice the door push open as his sister walks in. Mabel sits down next to Dipper, hopeful that she can play with him. Dipper glances at her out of the corner of his eyes. Her eyes are bright and hopeful, like a puppy awaiting a treat. Dipper relents and quits the game before beginning a two player game.

"Yay!" Mabel says giddily. The twins begin a round of their favorite game, an old shooter handed down to them by their parents from when they were kids.

"We won." Mabel says happily as the twins finish the final level.

"Yeah." Dipper says half-heartedly.

"What's wrong?" Mabel asks.

"Nothing."

"Tell me, Dipper."

"I thought I found an Indian spear. But it's just a rock." Dipper says sadly. Mabel leans in and gives Dipper a hug. Dipper puts his arms around Mabel and pats her on the back. The twins' mother shouts up the stairs. Dipper and Mabel move away and walk down the stairs to join their parents for dinner. Mabel and Dipper sit at the table as they patiently await their food.

"So, I hear you found a neat rock in the lawn." the twins' mother says as she sets down two plates in front of the twins.

"It's just a rock. Mabel can make another rock person with it." Dipper says.

"Alright."

"So Dipper, how's your school going?" Mr. Pines asks.

"It's fine." Dipper says.

"Make any new friends?"

"Not yet." Dipper says.

After Mabel and Dipper eat their meal, they return up the stairs to play their game again. Dipper and Mabel are halfway through a second round when their mother looks into the room.

"Kids, it's time for bed."

"Okay." Mabel and Dipper say tiredly. The twins take turns changing into their pajamas in the bathroom before returning to their rooms. Mabel gets in the bed opposite Dipper's. The twins' parents turn off the hallway lights as they stay in the living room.

"Dipper, I'm sorry I took the rock." Mabel says.

"That's fine."

"…do you think we'll always be together?"

"Yes, why?"

"I heard Mom and Dad talking about giving me a different room." Mabel says gloomily.

"Don't you want it?"

Mabel turns and looks at Dipper with an uncertain gaze.

"Not really."

"We'll have to be in separate rooms though. We're getting too old."

"We're not old. Mom and Dad are old, and they stay in the same room."

"That's because they're married." Dipper says.

"Then… then we're getting married." Mabel says. Dipper looks at her with a questioning gaze.

"Married?" Dipper says.

"Yeah. Why not?" Mabel says.

"Maybe." Dipper says with a yawn.

"Goodnight, Dipper."

"Goodnight, Mabel."

The twins close their eyes and drift into sleep.

Monday morning, the twins walk into their second grade class together. Mabel sneezes as she goes to talk with her friend Jessie. Dipper keeps to himself, too anxious and uncertain to speak with the other students. Dipper instead walks towards his table and sits down, waiting for the teachers to begin their lesson as he twiddles his thumbs. Mabel takes her seat next to him and scoots her table closer to Dipper.

"Why don't you talk with the others?" Mabel asks.

"I just, I don't know." Dipper says.

"Stop being a butt. Come on, let's go." Mabel says. She gets out of her chair and drags Dipper over to a group of kids. Mabel forces Dipper to enter the conversation.

"Hi." Dipper says nervously.

"Hi. Dipper?"

"Yeah."

"I'm Joey." a short, pale kid with blonde hair says.

"So, do you like… stuff?" Dipper asks. The group of kids laughs at Dipper.

"I like games. Do you like comics?" Joey asks.

"Yeah. I like Star Galactors."

"That's dumb." Joey says. He laughs a bit more.

"Oh." Dipper says. Mabel takes her place at her brother's side. She sneezes again as she glares at Joey with an angry glare.

"Well, what do you like?" Dipper asks.

"The Dredge."

"I like that one, too." Dipper says. Dipper begins conversing with Joey, opening up to the kid despite his nervousness and Joey's brash nature. Once the teacher begins the class, Dipper walks over and takes his seat next to Mabel.

"So, how's your new friend?" Mabel asks.

"I like him." Dipper says. Mabel sneezes again; she shoots a booger out of her nose, which she hides by smearing it against her sleeves.

"Are you okay?" Dipper asks.

"I'm fine."

Dipper and Mabel go through their class together. During recess, Dipper joins Mabel outside at the playground.

"Go on, go play with Joey."

"Oh, I don't know." Dipper says with an uncertain voice.

"He doesn't bite. But I do." Mabel says. She glares mischievously at Dipper. He knows she'll start trying to bite him if he doesn't go to hang out with the other boys, so he walks off. Dipper joins up with Joey and his group of friends while Mabel goes to hang out with the other girls.

"What's your favorite movie?" Joey asks.

"Star Lord." Dipper responds.

"I like it." Joey says.

"It's stupid." One of the other kids replies.

Dipper begins enjoying himself with his new group of friends, playing and jumping through the playground equipment energetically. Dipper attempts to climb the monkey bars but falls off, lacking the energy to make it through. One of the older kids climbs to the top of the bars and sits with his feet dangling over the edge and taunting the kids who lack the strength to make it up. Dipper and Joey jump up and try to yank at the kid's feet, but he pulls away whenever they get close.

But Dipper notices Mabel sitting on a bench near the school, no longer playing with her friends. Dipper leaves his new buddies and walks over to see what's bothering his sister. Mabel looks up at him and coughs.

"Are you okay?" Dipper asks.

"I'm fine. I'm probably getting a cold." Mabel says. Dipper sits down next to his sister.

"Are you having fun?" Mabel asks.

"Yeah. I'm sorry you're sick." Dipper replies. The twins spend the rest of recess together as Dipper keeps a close eye on his sister. They return to their class to finish studying their basic math, which Mabel ignores out of boredom. At the end of the day, the twins are picked up by their mother. Dipper and Mabel get in the backseat as Mabel continues coughing.

"Are you okay?" the twins' mother asks.

"I'm fine." Mabel says. The twins' mother drives her kids home. Dipper and Mabel get in the door and run to their room. The pair begin a game together, ignoring the sound of the doorbell ringing. Mabel turns and spots her friend Jessie walk into the room.

"What are you playing?" Jessie asks.

"Star Galactors." Mabel says. Dipper finds himself losing his playmate as Mabel begins chatting with Jessie. Eventually, Mabel sets the controller down and walks over to her side of the room, fetching random paint brushes and small clothing.

"Let's make rock people." Mabel says cheerfully. Jessie joins Mabel as Dipper plays the game by himself. But he finds Jessie's giggling and Mabel's teasing to be annoying, so he switches the game off and leaves the room. Dipper walks down the stairs to find his mother watching the television.

"What are you watching?" Dipper asks.

"This show about aliens. Some people apparently think they built the pyramids."

Dipper joins his mother on the couch as she watches the television.

"So, why aren't you upstairs with Mabel?"

"They're being girly." Dipper says. His mother stifles a laugh at her son's predicament. She changes the channel to Dipper's favorite show. Dipper and his mother watch the television as the day passes by. Dipper's father returns home and joins his wife in the kitchen as they prepare dinner. The doorbell rings again, signaling the return of Jessie's father.

"Can't I stay?" Jessie whines.

"You have school tomorrow. Maybe you can have a sleepover on Saturday."

"Fine." Jessie moans. She waves goodbye to Mabel before leaving. Mabel dashes up to the twins' room. Dipper doesn't pay attention as she comes back down and sits on the couch. She drops a strange present in his lap.

"Huh? Is that the rock?" Dipper says.

"Now it's a spear." Mabel says. She glued the pointed triangular rock to the stick from an old wooden drum set and wrapped it in a bow. Dipper gives Mabel a hug as she coughs slightly. Dipper continues to worry for his sister as the day comes to a close.

The next day, Dipper wakes up to a frightening sight. The twins' mother is sitting on a chair next to Mabel's bed as she coughs painfully. Mabel blows her nose into a tissue before looking towards Dipper.

"I'm sick." Mabel says pitifully. Dipper stands up and walks over before his mother presses her hand against his chest, keeping him away from his sick sister.

"I don't need you getting sick, too." Mrs. Pines says.

"I won't get sick." Dipper says.

"Sorry, Dipper. Go downstairs; I already made breakfast. Your father will drop you off today."

Dipper leaves, giving a worried wave to Mabel before leaving. Dipper walks into the kitchen to find a plate of pancakes at the table. He takes his seat at the table opposite his father.

"Mabel's sick." Dipper says.

"Yeah. I heard the coughing. She probably caught it over the weekend or something."

Dipper finishes his breakfast and prepares his backpack for school. But he remembers Mabel's present; the wonderful spear she made him. Dipper returns to his bed and fetches the toy before leaving with his dad. His parents were too focused on Mabel to notice Dipper retrieving his mock weapon, so the young boy is able to walk into his school without any resistance. He desires to show his toy to his new friends. Dipper sits next to Joey, since Mabel isn't there to be with him.

"Hi Dipper." Joey says.

"Hi. I got a present." Dipper says proudly.

"What is it?"

"Mabel made me an Indian spear."

"I want to see it!"

"At recess." Dipper says. Joey waits in anticipation to see Dipper's new weapon as the school day passes by. Come recess, Joey is already talking with his group of friends about Dipper's weapon. He hopes Mabel can make more of her creations when Dipper walks up to the group with his hands behind his back.

"Do you got it?"

"I want to see it!"

"Come on, Dipper!"

Dipper's impatient peers wait for the presentation. Dipper takes his hands out from behind his back and shows them the weapon. A small rock haphazardly glued to a small stick. The kids look at the pathetic weapon in disappointment. Several begin snickering at the wimpy creation.

"What's funny?" Dipper asks.

"It's stupid."

"No it's not." Dipper says defensively.

"Yes it is." Joey responds.

"Dipper's sister is dumb." another boy says.

"No she's not!" Dipper yells. The kids begin laughing harder at Dipper's wimpy nature. Joey yanks the toy out of Dipper's hands.

"Hey, give it back!" Dipper shouts. He attempts to take the weapon back, only to find Joey pushing him away. Joey tosses it to one of his friends. Dipper runs after it before the gift exchanges hands again. Dipper pointlessly chases after the boys holding the weapon as they laugh at him. During one of the lulls in teasing, one of the kids notices Dipper's forehead. Dipper's birthmark shows through his hair.

"Dipper's a dipper!" he yells, pointing at Dipper's face. The other boys begin mocking Dipper's birthmark as he chases after them. One of the older kids tosses the spear over Dipper's head. Joey grabs the item.

"Dipper's a dipper!" Joey says as he laughs. Then he does the unthinkable. He snaps the old stick in two and throws it in the grass. Dipper lunges at the boy, trying to fight him. Joey manages to hold his ground as Dipper tries punching him. Eventually Dipper feels a force rip him away from his opponent.

"What are you doing?!" an angry teacher asks.

"Joey broke my toy!" Dipper protests.

"That's no excuse. You're coming to the principal's office."

With those words, Dipper felt a sense of utter horror. Only bad boys ever went to the principal. He never even met the principal before; all he knew was that it was a figure of dread and terror, only spoken of when a teacher was angry and dragging a student away. An unseen force that controls the school from the shadows. Dipper braces for the worst as he's taken back into the school and towards the office, sitting down in the waiting room while the teacher goes to talk with the principal. Eventually, the angry teacher takes Dipper in. Dipper sits down in a small chair in the center of the room. He feels the full weight of the room bearing down upon him. He feels like a mouse surrounded by giants. The desk is the size of his head when he's standing up, and a large chair sits facing the window. The office chair slowly swivels around, showing the imposing, tall figure sitting in it. A large, pale man with bald spots sits in, clasping his hands like a mad villain.

"Welcome, Mr. Pines." the man says in a low, dark voice. Dipper begins sniffling as he's brought to the brink of tears.

"Sorry, sorry." the man replies in a normal, cheerful voice.

"Huh?" Dipper says.

"I always wanted to do that. Sorry." he says with a nervous laugh. The imposing figure steps down from the chair and reveals that he's a short, friendly old man. He adjusts his chair, revealing that he lifted it up so that he appeared bigger than usual. He pulls a small stool out and sits next to Dipper, meeting the boy at eye level.

"Hi, uh, Dipper? That's what you go by, right?"

"Yes." Dipper responds.

"Yeah. So I heard about the fight. Apparently you had a toy one of the kids broke?"

"It was a present from Mabel. Joey broke it and threw it away." Dipper says.

"I see, I see. You must like her a lot, willing to risk a trip to the principal's office because of the gift."

"Are you the principal?" Dipper asks.

"Yes. Name's Mr. Stewart. Hello." the man says while giving a friendly wave.

"You don't look like it." Dipper says.

"I suppose not. Most people expect a large monster or something on their first time in. But no, I'm just another guy. Do you like cookies?"

"Yeah?" Dipper says.

"Here, have a cookie." the old man says. He takes a bag of small, chocolate chip cookies out of his pocket.

"Why do you have cookies in your pocket?"

"Force of habit. My wife doesn't like me eating too much sugary treats, so sometimes I sneak it into the school."

"You do?" Dipper asks. The fact that the person in charge was doing something sneaky was unthinkable.

"Yeah. I don't do it much, but sometimes I get antsy and need some sugar."

Dipper smiles a bit as he looks down.

"Mabel likes sugar too." Dipper says.

"Yeah. I try to keep moving. Exercising, you know?"

"Exercising?"

"Yeah. Eat too much candy, and you end up fat if you don't run."

"Okay. Getting fat wouldn't be good."

"I know. So tell me, how is your sister?"

"She's sick. It's just me today."

"That stinks. I bet you two love each other a lot."

"Yeah. Mabel says we're getting married."

The principal chuckles a little at the thought of the siblings getting married.

"What's funny?" Dipper asks.

"Oh, nothing. I just remembered a joke."

"What is it?"

"I stink at explaining jokes. So tell me, why'd they break you're toy?"

"They're jerks. They said it was stupid."

"Ah, I see. Well, they are jerks, but they don't know any better. And I'm willing to bet that Joey would be willing to apologize for breaking it."

"I don't care." Dipper says.

"Why not?"

"It's already broken. I don't like Joey anymore."

"Alright. Well, it's still polite to at least hear him out, so why don't we?"

"Okay." Dipper says. The principal stands up and looks out into the hall, motioning for someone to come in. Joey walks in, standing around awkwardly as his teacher comes in behind him.

"Joey, what do you have to say for yourself?" the teacher says.

"I'm… I'm sorry, Dipper."

"Alright." Dipper says. Joey lifts his hand up, and Dipper accepts it. The two shake hands, signaling Dipper's acceptance of Joey's apology. Dipper walks back with Joey to the classroom. Dipper is nearly ready to actually forgive Joey when the snotty kid speaks again.

"Dipper, why do you care about some dumb stick?" Joey asks. Dipper turns and glares angrily at his peer.

"It's not dumb. Go away."

"What?"

"I don't like you anymore. Go away."

"But I said I was sorry!" Joey says in a whiney voice.

"You're not. You just don't care." Dipper says. Dipper walks into the class and sits at his desk. Joey attempts to bug Dipper for the rest of the day, but simply receives silence for his troubles. As Dipper walks out, he returns to the playground before his father arrives to pick him up. Dipper looks around for the remains of the spear, but simply finds a piece of the broken stick. The other end with the rock is gone. Dipper walks back to the sidewalk and gets in the car with his father.

"Hey Dipper. What's wrong?" Mr. Pines asks as he sees the frown on his son's face.

"They broke Mabel's present."

"Can it be fixed?"

"This was all that was left." Dipper says while showing the broken stick.

"That sucks. What was it?"

"The Indian spear."

"You know, you probably shouldn't bring stuff like that to school even though it's fake. And don't bring any more toys to school. Kids can be jerks."

"I know. I'm not talking with Joey anymore."

"I wish you'd make more friends, though."

"I only need Mabel." Dipper says. He means it; Mabel is the only person who he trusts, even when they fight or yell at each other.

"Yeah, that'll change one day." Mr. Pines says. The twins' father drives home. Dipper hurries to his room to check up on Mabel. Mabel's doing worse; her skin is reddened, her nose is dripping constantly, and she's coughing loudly. The twins' mother sits near the bed as she tries to help her daughter eat chicken noodle soup. Dipper tries to walk over, but his mother keeps him away.

"I'm sorry, but I don't need you catching this too."

Dipper walks back outside, leaving a disheartened Mabel in her room.

"Why… why can't Dipper stay in here?" Mabel asks between coughs.

"I don't want him getting sick, too. You've got a pretty bad fever going, and he doesn't need to be catching the germs."

"I-I know." Mabel says sadly. Dipper returns to the room, wearing a line of toilet paper wrapped around his head and covering his mouth and nose. Mrs. Pines sighs as she sees the pitiful sight.

"Sweetie, I'm sorry, but no. You'll get it in your eyes, or on your hands. Just no."

Dipper looks down sadly before walking out of the room. Mr. Pines comes into the room to check on his daughter.

"Hey, Mabel. How are you?"

"I feel like poop." Mabel says as she coughs again. The cough is deep and painful as she takes another tissue and blows her nose.

"Is Dipper… Is Dipper going to be able to sleep here tonight?" Mabel asks.

"I… I don't think so. We'll set him up a small bed in our room." Mr. Pines says. Mabel looks down pitifully as she listens to fiddling from the bathroom. The twins' mother sighs in irritation.

"Why can't he just accept that he can't stay?" Mrs. Pines asks no one in particular.

"Because he loves me." Mabel says.

"I know, but… you know he can't stay in the same room with you forever, right?"

"Why not?"

"Because you'll get older… and things will change."

"They'll change. But we won't; Pines twins forever." Mabel says. Her mother lets out a defeated puff. She wasn't in the mood for arguing with her sick daughter. Just then, the door is pushed open again. Dipper walks back in and his parents have to try not to laugh or cry at the sight of him. The roll of toilet paper is still around his face. But Dipper is wearing rubber gloves that he dug out from the bathroom cabinet to keep the germs off his hands. The gloves are too large for his little hands, so they end up flopping around. Dipper is also wearing goggles; he found his swimming goggles that were buried under piles of junk in his parents' closet to keep the germs out of his eyes. And, out of his own paranoia, he has covered his ears with small earmuffs. Dipper's every orifice is protected from potential germs, and the stubborn young boy walks up to Mabel's bed. She sticks her hand out, and Dipper takes it in his gloved hand. Dipper squeezes her hand reassuringly as she coughs more.

"Dipper…" his mother starts. Dipper looks up and glares at her, wondering why she still won't let him stay with his sister.

"…come with me. That toilet paper won't last. We'll get a scarf. And I've got some gloves that'll fit you better."

The toilet paper shifts slightly at the movement of Dipper's cheeks. His mother knows that Dipper is smiling beneath his covering. She walks with him out to fetch a scarf and gloves. They return moments later, and the twins' father takes his leave from the room. Dipper is completely wrapped, preventing the germs from gaining any entry.

"You look like a robot." Mabel says with a grin. She lets out a pained laugh that quickly turns into another coughing fit. Dipper walks over and hops in the bed with Mabel, worrying for her. The twins' mother stays in the room with her children as she helps Mabel eat.

"So, Dipper, did you have fun with Joey?" Mabel asks.

"Oh, did you make a new friend?" Mrs. Pines asks.

"No. Joey's dumb." Dipper says with his voice muffled by the scarf.

"What? Why's that?" Mrs. Pines asks.

"He… he broke Mabel's present." Dipper says sadly. Mabel looks at him with questioning eyes.

"What?" She says sadly.

"I wanted to show them the present you made. They stole it, and they broke it. They're dumb." Dipper says. Mabel frowns as tears form.

"They're bumble farkers." Mabel says with anger in her voice. She nearly said 'fuck,' one of the forbidden words, and instead changed it into a strange combination of it and the word fart as it moved out of her mouth.

"I know. I don't like them anymore." Dipper says. He leans back into the wall as Mabel eats her food. Mabel doesn't finish it, so the twins' mother goes to take the bowl away.

"Well, I think Dipper here has this covered. If you need anything, just call me. I'll be starting on dinner soon." The twins' mother says as she leaves. Dipper scoots closer to Mabel and gives her a comforting hug.

"Do you want to watch some T.V.?" Dipper asks.

"Yes." Mabel says. Dipper finds the remote and begins changing the channel. He settles on Mabel's and his favorite show, the animated Star Galactors series. Mabel and him watch as their parents prepare the meal below.

"Dipper, I'm hot." Mabel says.

"Do you need some water?"

Mabel nods her head. Dipper stands up and leaves the room. He walks towards the top of the stairs and shouts for his mother.

"Yes, sweetie?" Mrs. Pines responds.

"Can you get Mabel a glass of water?" Dipper asks. Dipper returns to check up on his sister, who waits as she holds herself in a hug, coughing painfully. Dipper walks back in and lies on the bed next to her, huddling up close.

"I'm sorry you're sick, Mabel."

"You didn't do it." Mabel says. Dipper wonders what did cause it; his mind drifts back, trying to figure out when she first began showing symptoms. He tries to think back to when she could have caught it, and he remembers their fight. Fighting over a pointless rock, Mabel tripped and fell. She received a cut on her leg, and she could have got an infection from it. Dipper feels daggers pierce his small heart as he thinks that he could be responsible for Mabel's suffering. Dipper snuggles up near his sister as she watches the show. The twins' mother comes up the stairs with a glass of water. Mabel takes it and sips before handing it over to Dipper, who sets it down next to her bed. Mabel slowly shifts lower as she stops paying attention to the show. Dipper sees that Mabel has nearly fallen asleep and turns the volume down.

"I need a nap." Mabel says.

"Should I turn the T.V. off?"

"You can keep watching."

Dipper turns the volume off as he watches the show silently. Eventually his mother comes up the stairs and motions for Dipper, who leaves his sleeping sister behind. Dipper walks down the stairs into the living room and removes his protective gear. Dipper heads into the kitchen with his mother and pulls his seat up.

"So what's this I hear about you taking a spear to school?" Mrs. Pines asks. Dipper looks up at her as he bites into his hotdog.

"Mabel used the rock to make a spear, but those jerks broke it." Dipper says with his mouth full.

"You shouldn't talk with your mouth full, and you shouldn't bring weapons to school. You'll get in serious trouble if you do that when you're older."

"I know." Dipper says after he swallows his food. Then he realizes something. Mabel is sleeping, but she's still sick. She might need help later, so Dipper steps off the table.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm going to eat upstairs in case Mabel needs something. I'll stay on my bed." Dipper says. His parents reluctantly allow him to leave. Dipper returns to the twins' room and takes his plate to his bed. Dipper eats silently as Mabel slumbers next to him while occasionally coughing.

"I'm sorry for getting you sick. I'll help make you better." Dipper whispers to his sleeping sister, knowing that she can't hear his confession. After Dipper finishes eating, he takes the plate back down the stairs. Dipper washes his hands and face before retrieving his protective tools and returning to the room for the night. Before the day ends, Dipper goes to the bathroom to wash up. He overhears his parents speaking in their bedroom as he walks towards the twins' room.

"I can't miss a day of work." Mr. Pines says.

"Me either. They want me to come in!" Mrs. Pines replies with an annoyed whisper and an exaggerated wave of her arms.

"Well, what are we going to do? We can't just leave Mabel here."

"I don't know, I'll… We'll call someone. We can get a babysitter."

"You sure we can leave Mabel alone, though? I mean, I'm not going to trust some random jerk ass with Mabel. Especially if she's sick."

"Well, we're going to have to."

Dipper walks back to the twins' room and gets in the bed. Dipper turns over and looks at Mabel one more time, feeling guilt for his supposed hand in causing her sickness.

"Goodnight." Dipper whispers.

"Goodnight." Mabel responds.

Dipper and Mabel fall asleep. Dipper dreams of being at home, sitting on the couch as he's judged. His parents and Mabel tower over him; they're giants with voices of thunder.

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!" his father asks in a deafening voice.

"I didn't know! I'm sorry!"

"YOU MADE MABEL SICK!" his mother bellows.

"It was an accident!"

"SELFISH BOY!" his father replies.

Dipper falls to his knees, begging for mercy against his attackers as they close in around him.

Dipper wakes with a sudden gasp. It's already morning, and the twins' parents are moving about outside the doors. Dipper turns in his bed and looks at Mabel as she coughs.

"Are you getting better?" Dipper asks. Mabel shakes her head as she coughs. And then something worse happens. Mabel wobbles in place slightly before turning over and vomiting onto the floor.

"Mom!" Dipper shouts. Within moments, Mrs. Pines is inside the room.

"What is it?" she says before spotting the acidic, chunky mess on the floor. The twins' mother shouts for her husband's help. He runs up the stairs and sees the mess on the floor before dashing back. He returns several minutes later carrying a bucket and cleaning supplies. Dipper watches as his parents clean the mess on the carpet while Mabel holds her head over the bucket. Dipper is on the verge of tears.

"_It's all my fault!_" Dipper thinks. Mrs. Pines stands up and looks at the remains of the vomit before turning to Dipper.

"Are you okay?" she asks.

"I'm-I'm fine." Dipper says in a wavering voice. His mother walks over and gives him a hug.

"Don't worry, sweetie. It's not your fault."

Dipper buries his emotions as his mother moves back.

"Come on, I'll make you some pancakes." Mrs. Pines says.

"Can I have some, too?" Mabel asks.

"I'll bring you some." she says. Dipper and his mother walk down to the kitchen. Mrs. Pines makes her son wash his hands before beginning to make breakfast. Dipper stares into space as he waits for his breakfast. He's sure it's his fault; and his parents were going to bring in someone today. But Dipper's worrying mind won't give him peace. He wonders who the person will be; if they'll be able to help Mabel, or if they simply won't care. He wonders if they might not even show up.

"_What if they hurt Mabel?_" Dipper thinks worriedly. Dipper comes to the only decision he can think of.

"It'll be done in a second, don't you worry." Mrs. Pines says. Dipper coughs lightly. His mother pauses mid-step and turns to look at him. After a few moments, Dipper coughs again.

"Uh oh." Mrs. Pines whispers to herself. Now Dipper has appeared to have caught the illness.

"Are you feeling alright?" she asks. Dipper nods, developing a multi-layered lie. Dipper pretends that he is pretending he is alright. His mother walks over and checks his temperature with her hand.

"Are you feeling cold or anything?" she asks. Dipper shakes his head before letting out another light cough. Mrs. Pines sighs in aggravation before turning to finish breakfast. Her husband grabs a bag of chips and granola bars before heading out the door. Mrs. Pines places a platter of pancakes in front of Dipper before walking up the stairs to give Mabel her breakfast. Dipper eats silently as he waits for his mother to return. She sits down next to him as he eats his food. Dipper coughs again as he finishes his last bite. Dipper leaves the table and goes to fiddle with his backpack.

"I don't think you'll be going to school for a few days. We don't need any of the other kids catching the cold." Mrs. Pines says.

"Okay." Dipper says. Dipper walks back up the stairs and gets in his bed. He coughs lightly as his mother sits on a chair, waiting for the babysitter to show up and care for the twins.

"Where's the babysitter?" Dipper asks.

"She'll be here soon." Mrs. Pines says.

"Why don't you stay?" Dipper asks.

"I've got to get to work. There's a lot of stuff to get done." Mrs. Pines says. She waits with her coughing kids for several minutes before standing up. She begins pacing back and forth before letting out an annoyed grunt.

"Dipper, you can watch the house for a couple minutes, right?" Mrs. Pines asks. Dipper nods his head before letting out another cough. Mrs. Pines walks out of the room before returning with a phone.

"I'll leave a phone by you. Call in case you need anything." Mrs. Pines says. Dipper nods his head. Mrs. Pines gives Dipper a hug before leaving. Dipper stays in the bed until he hears the sound of the front door closing. Mabel turns and looks at Dipper with a dazed look before picking the bucket back up and hurling. Dipper steps off the bed.

"I'm going to get another bucket." Dipper says.

Dipper leaves and walks down the stairs towards the second bathroom. Dipper walks in and looks through the cabinet beneath the sink, where the family stores the cleaning supplies. Dipper takes the bucket and returns to the twins' room. Mabel finishes her bout of vomiting before Dipper sets the second bucket near the bed. Dipper takes the first one and heads towards the upstairs bathroom and dumps the acidy contents into the toilet. Dipper returns carrying the empty bucket and sets it down by Mabel's bed.

"Why did you get another bucket?" Mabel asks during the lull in her vomiting.

"When the first one needs to be dumped you could need the other one."

"Okay."

Dipper leaves temporarily to wash his hands. He returns moments later and begins donning his protective gear again.

"I'm sorry I got you sick." Mabel says. Dipper walks over and sits on the bed with her.

"You didn't get me sick." Dipper says.

"Oh, you lied?" Mabel says.

"I didn't want to leave you with a stranger." Dipper says. Mabel grins happily before moving over and hugging Dipper, coughing and sucking up her mucus as she holds him. Dipper wraps his gloved hands around her and holds her close, regretful for his apparent part in causing Mabel pain. Dipper pulls away, tearing at the eyes through his goggles.

"What's wrong?" Mabel asks. Dipper turns his head down in shame.

"If I didn't run away with the rock, then you wouldn't get that cut, and you wouldn't be sick." Dipper says.

"It's not your fault, dummy." Mabel says. She leans in and hugs Dipper again.

"Do you want to watch T.V.?" Dipper asks.

"Yeah, okay." Mabel responds. Dipper walks over and fetches the remote and puts the television on. Dipper and Mabel silently watch the television while waiting for the babysitter. After several minutes the phone rings. Dipper pulls the scarf down and answers the phone.

"Hello?" Dipper says.

"Hi. It's Carol. I'm sorry, but I won't be able to make it. Something big has come up. Will you be okay?"

"Yeah." Dipper says.

"Alright. If you still need me tomorrow, I'll be there for sure."

"Okay." Dipper says.

"Bye."

"Goodbye."

Dipper turns the phone off and prepares to dial his mother's work number.

"_What was it?..._"

Dipper dials what he believes to be the number for his mother's work.

"Hello?" an old lady says from the other end. Dipper asks her if his mother happens to work there.

"I'm sorry, but there's no one named Pines here." she says. Dipper tries to remember the number and dials again.

"Hello?" Dipper says.

"Que?"

"What?"

"No hablo ingles."

The phone clicks off at the other end. Dipper puts the phone done and takes a deep breath. He attempts to dial his father's number, but only receives a busy signal. And then another, and another. Dipper gives up and puts the phone down. The twins were on their own today.

"I can't get to Mom and Dad." Dipper says.

"This sucks. This major sucks." Mabel mutters.

"Do you need anything?" Dipper asks. Mabel shakes her head, so Dipper relaxes into the pillow as the twins watch the television. Dipper waits with his sister as she coughs pitifully. Dipper is watching the show when a piece of clothing lands on his head. Dipper turns around and sees that Mabel has taken her shirt off.

"Why is your shirt off?" Dipper asks.

"It's hot." Mabel says in a pained voice.

"I'll go get some water." Dipper says. He runs down to the kitchen and pulls a chair up to the kitchen counter. Dipper climbs up and opens the top cabinet and fetches a glass. He pushes the chair over to the sink and gets Mabel her water, but not before remembering what his parents did for him when he had a bad fever several months ago. Dipper hops off the chair and digs through the bottom cabinet. Dipper finds several small towels and heads back up the stairs. Dipper hands Mabel the glass of water before rushing towards the bathroom. He turns the faucet on and wets one of the towels before heading back to the twins' room. Dipper gets on Mabel's bed and uses the cool, wet cloth to calm her fever.

"Thank you." Mabel says pitifully. Dipper sits behind her and pats down her back with the damp towel. Mabel's body slowly cools as Dipper massages her back and forehead. Dipper hands the towel over to Mabel, he drapes it over her head. Dipper turns and giggles lightly at Mabel, who looks like she has large, floppy rabbit ears. Mabel punches him slightly while pouting.

"Shut up, Dipper."

"Sorry." Dipper says. Mabel sticks her tongue out at Dipper before the two turn their attention back to the television. Mabel turns and fetches the bucket, hurling water.

"This super, major, duper, turbo sucks." Mabel says.

"I know. I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault." Mabel says, knowing Dipper is constantly blaming himself. Mabel stands off the bed, wobbling slightly.

"What are you doing?"

"I need to go pee." Mabel says. Dipper walks with Mabel to the bathroom, turning his gaze away.

"If you need any help, just ask." Dipper says.

"I'm not stupid. I can use the bathroom myself." Mabel says. Dipper and Mabel return to the bedroom and get back onto Mabel's bed. After several hours spent on the bed, Dipper feels the desire to eat. He doesn't want to leave Mabel's side, but his stomach gurgles in protest of his brotherly instinct.

"I'm going to get some food. Do you need anything?"

"Could… could you make PB&J sandwiches?" Mabel asks. Dipper nods his head before walking down the stairs. Dipper removes his protective gear before pulling a chair up to the fridge. He grabs the jars needed to prepare the sandwiches, and then he searches through the cabinets before locating the bread. Dipper opens the jar of jelly and spreads it across two pieces of bread before looking into the peanut butter jar. The jar is nearly empty, only having enough to spread over one sandwich. Dipper grumbles in aggravation. Dipper looks through the fridge and finds another jar. Dipper spreads the peanut butter across the other piece of bread. Then he feels a sense of dread come over him.

"_Crunchy? No!_"

Dipper realizes that the second sandwich was prepared using the crunchy peanut butter. Dipper moans as he uses the butter knife to cut the crust off the bread and slice the sandwiches in half. Dipper puts the items away before fetching his protective gear and walking back up the stairs with the twins' plate.

"Yay! And you cut the crust off." Mabel says cheerfully as snot runs down her nose. Dipper walks over and sits on the bed with the plate, turning it so Mabel will take the sandwich without the crunchy peanut butter. Dipper takes his gloves off and slides the scarf down. He takes his sandwich up and bites in. His face distorts in disgust as he begrudgingly forces the crunchy sandwich down.

"You're making a funny face." Mabel says.

"Huh?"

"Why are you making that face?"

"Uh, no reason." Dipper replies.

"Come on, tell me." Mabel says with a mischievous smile. Dipper smiles warmly in return. He hadn't seen Mabel smile in a while. Mabel turns down and spots pieces of nut on his sandwich.

"Dipper, you dork." Mabel says. She takes the other half of the crunchy sandwich and switches it with one of her halves.

"Thank you." Dipper says. Mabel and Dipper delightfully eat the delicious, creamy texture of the first sandwich while reluctantly forcing down the annoyingly crunchy second sandwich. Mabel continues giggling at Dipper's face, which becomes increasingly exaggerated to entertain his sister. Once Mabel and Dipper have finished their meal, Dipper returns to the kitchen with the empty dishes. He returns up the stairs and goes to the bathroom, leaving the door open in case Mabel needed help. Dipper returns and, seeing Mabel's face burning up, fetches another towel and goes to run it under the sink. Dipper returns and helps Mabel cool off again.

"Thank you for helping me." Mabel says.

"I'll always help." Dipper says. Mabel turns around and wraps her arms around him.

"I love you, Dipper." Mabel says.

"I love you too, Mabel."

Dipper and Mabel sit back as they watch the television, only leaving to use the bathroom or if Dipper needs to empty the bucket. As they watch the end of Star Galactors, the phone rings. Dipper picks it up and answers.

"Hey, Carol." Mrs. Pines says.

"It's Dipper."

"Dipper? Where's Carol?"

"I, uh… she didn't show up."

"…that's not funny."

"She didn't. I tried to call, but I didn't remember your number."

"What?! Are you okay?! Is Mabel okay?!" Mrs. Pines shouts into the phone.

"We're fine." Dipper says. He lets out a mock cough over the phone.

"Just, ugh. I'm gonna kill Carol!"

"It's not her fault. She called us, but I didn't know your work phone."

"Okay, okay. I'll be back, soon. I'm… I'll leave work early. You're fine, right? Did you eat?"

"Yes. We had peanut butter and jelly sandwiches."

"Okay, good, good. I'll… ugh, I'll be back soon. I'll see you. Bye."

"Goodbye."

Dipper turns the phone off and places it on the table. Mabel is lying down; she's nearly fallen asleep. Dipper stands up and goes to empty the bucket a final time. Dipper returns and gets in his bed, looking over at Mabel as she sleeps off the sickness. Dipper switches off the volume on the television as he waits for his mother to return.

When she does, she hurries up into the twins' room. She opens the door and looks in, expecting to find a disaster. To her surprise, everything is fine. Dipper sits patiently on the bed as he watches the show, Mabel sleeps in her bed peacefully, and there are no fresh vomit stains. She looks in and sees that Dipper brought a second bucket into the room.

"Why did you get another bucket?" she asks with a whisper.

"When I empty the first one, she might throw up again. I don't want to make a mess on the floor." Dipper says.

"Alright… and… wait, why is Mabel's shirt off?"

"She was getting hot, so I went and got some wet towels." Dipper says. Mrs. Pines lets out a relieved breath. Dipper seemed to do a good enough job on his own of watching the house.

"Holy Crap." Mrs. Pines says.

"What?"

"It's just, you did good. Real good."

"I did?"

"Yeah. I'm proud of you. Thank you. Although we will need to write down the number for my work. Did you try calling Dad?"

"Yeah, but no one answered."

"Yeah, they have poor phone service over there. Well, I'll take over from here. Do you need anything?"

"Some juice?" Dipper asks.

"What kind?"

"Apple."

"Alright. I'll be back."

Mrs. Pines leaves to fetch the juice for Dipper, taking over the role of watching over the twins. Dipper relaxes lazily into the bed, figuring he might as well take advantage of pretending to be sick. His parents work and watch television downstairs, leaving the twins alone in their room. Mabel wakes up sometime before dinner.

"Hi." Dipper says.

"Hey." Mabel says with a cough.

"Mom and Dad are back. They're making dinner."

"Okay." Mabel says exhaustedly. The sickness is draining her of her energy. Dipper gets out of the bed and fetches one of the towels before walking into the bathroom. He returns to help cool Mabel down again as his father walks up the stairs.

"We've got mashed potatoes, and some ham. Are you hungry?" he asks. Dipper nods his head while Mabel stares into the television.

"Mabel? Are you okay?"

"Yeah." Mabel responds. She leans back tiredly into Dipper's chest, using him to support her aching body. It feels like her body is ready to fall apart. Dipper does his best to keep Mabel cool with the towel. Her skin is hot; it feels like she's burning. Mr. Pines returns with food for Dipper, who takes the plate in his hands. Mabel leans back against Dipper's shoulder as he eats while attempting not to move too much with Mabel resting against him. Dipper awkwardly turns his head as the twins watch the television.

"Are you going to go back to school tomorrow?" Mabel asks.

"No. I'm not leaving you alone."

"Thank you."

After Dipper finishes most of his meal, he turns to Mabel.

"You should eat some." Dipper says.

"I'm not hungry."

"Just a little."

Mabel moves away as Dipper hands her the plate. Mabel pokes at the food for a bit before taking a bite. Mabel eats several bites of food before handing the plate back to Dipper. He sets it down on the table and returns to Mabel. The twins relax until it's time for bed. The twins' parents turn off the lights downstairs before coming up. The twins' mother comes into the room while their father stays by the door and watches. Dipper and his mother help Mabel up to go to the bathroom. Dipper brushes his teeth before walking out to give Mabel her privacy. Dipper returns and lies in the bed, waiting for his parents. His mother walks in and sits in a chair. She notices that while Mabel's symptoms worsened rapidly, Dipper doesn't seem affected at all. And when he's watching the television and not fully paying attention to his surroundings, he doesn't cough. She also sees that he's been using his protective gear when being near Mabel.

"Are you really sick?" Mrs. Pines asks.

"Yes." Dipper says, making sure to cough this time. Mrs. Pines smirks in amusement.

"Thanks for looking after Mabel." she says before leaving.

"Goodnight." Dipper says.

"Goodnight."

"_That was close._" Dipper thinks. Mabel returns to the room and gets in her bed as her father turns off the bedroom light. Dipper tries to fall asleep with his worrying mind teasing him.

"_What if she needs my help in the night? What if no one can get to her?_"

"Dipper?" Mabel asks.

"Yeah?"

"I'm scared."

"Do you want me to come in the bed?"

"Please." Mabel says. Dipper shifts from his covers and walks across the room, tripping on the empty bucket as he moves into the bed with Mabel. Dipper can see the outlines of her eyes and her short hair.

"You're pretty." Dipper says.

"Thank you." Mabel responds. Dipper closes his eyes as he begins to fall asleep. Mabel turns over, beginning to lightly snore as she leans against Dipper. Dipper begins dreaming; he's back at school as he attacks the kids with a real Native American spear and a wizard staff. He uses magical powers to drag the bullies around and throw them about. Mabel sits on the bench next to him, laughing as Dipper uses the bodies of the bullies as puppets to entertain his sister. Then Dipper's dream morphs into something strange. The bells of a church are ringing, and Dipper is waiting at the altar. Indistinct faces sit within the rows; the only people he can make out are his parents and several family members. The twins' great uncle sits in the front row. The doors to the church open and Mabel begins walking down the aisle. Clichéd church pipes play music as birds fly through the air and flower pedals fall from the ceiling. But the dream shifts; everything goes dark. A strange, glowing triangle appears before Dipper. Dipper tries to run away, but the thing is always right behind him. It isn't chasing him, it's growing. The more Dipper runs, the more the pyramid grows in size and strength. Dipper turns and looks. A pyramid, gold and glowing brighter than the stars, breaches into the heavens as it towers over the small boy.

Dipper jolts awake and finds himself on the floor. His side hurts, and he realizes that he's smashed into the bucket. Dipper grabs his stomach in pain before he looks up. He hears a strange noise from the bed. Chaotic thumping as the bed jolts and moves. It sounds like Mabel is jumping on the bed. Dipper stands up, and stares in terror.

"Mabel!" Dipper shouts. Mabel flails about mindlessly, as if she's possessed. Her arms thrash about the bed as her body convulses.

"Mabel! Mabel! Wake up!" Dipper shouts through tears. Dipper backs away and his head darts around the room in a panic. He runs to the doorway and turns on the light and looks back. He spots the phone on the table and runs over, picking it up and dialing.

"911, what's your emergency?"

"Help! My sister won't stop shaking! She's sick!" Dipper cries into the phone.

"Okay, okay. We'll have an ambulance over right away. I need you to stay on the line. What's happening?"

"My sister was sick! She got a cut, and then she got really sick, and now she won't stop shaking!" Dipper says. He begins wailing as tears pour down his cheek.

"The ambulance should be there shortly. Does she have any medicine? Is her mouth open?"

"N-no! She just won't stop!" Dipper says. He begins blabbering into the phone.

"It's my fault. She got the cut, and and, then she got sick, but it was because I ran. Why didn't I give her the rock?!" Dipper says, confessing his apparent sins to the helpless lady at the other end. He rambles on the phone as the responder tries to keep him calm.

By this point, the twins' parents are moving about. The hallway light switches on as a loud knocking taps the door. Another loud knock jolts the twins' father into heading to the door. The twins' mother looks into the twins' room to see what's wrong, and screams in horror. The next few minutes turn into a blur as Dipper's tears fall onto the carpet. His mother takes the phone out of his hand as he cries. Several ambulance workers dash up the stairs to retrieve Mabel, who has begun to turn grey as her body suffocates. The ambulance drivers take Mabel away as Dipper tries to run with them, but his father forces him to stay back as Mr. Pines gets in the ambulance. The ambulance drives away with blaring sirens as Dipper and his mother watch, crying in terror.

"It's all my fault!" Dipper shouts.

"What?!"

"If-if I didn't r-run, th-then Mabel wouldn't of got cut, th-then she wouldn't of been sick, then sh-she wouldn't be d-d-dying!" Dipper says. His mother grabs him and holds him close as they cry near the open door.

"Shh, shh. It's not your fault, Dipper! This isn't the sickness you get from a cut! Okay, Dipper?" Mrs. Pines says with a wavering voice.

It's too much; Dipper buries himself into his mother's shoulder as he cries, rambling confession after confession with his voice muffled. He confesses to pretending to be sick. He tells her that he was the one that broke the light bulb last week, not Mabel. He tells her about the bird egg he stepped on several weeks ago. And he confesses that he did, in fact, steal the cookies. His mother rubs his back, trying to settle his nerves. But that isn't possible; they both saw Mabel, and they both know what that could mean. Dipper and his mother return to the living room. The crying turns into pained, silent sniffling as the two watch the television with the sound off. They're both waiting for the news; an announcement of dread. They wait in terror as Dipper shifts into his mother's grasp.

"We-we were going to get married. And we were going to stay in the same room. And we were going to be together forever." Dipper mutters with a hoarse voice. His mother looks at him and sighs. She wasn't going to explain why that relationship would never work right now. The two wait for nearly an hour. Dipper has almost fallen back asleep when the phone rings.

"Hello?!" Mrs. Pines asks worriedly. She begins crying again, and Dipper believes the worst has happened.

"She's okay. She's okay." Mrs. Pines says in relief. She grabs her son and squeezes him in a hug. She continues talking on the phone for several minutes before turning it off. She chokes slightly on the mucus as she moves back to explain the situation.

"Mabel had what's called a grand mal seizure. Apparently really high fevers can cause it. It wasn't anything you did, I swear. It was just a normal cold that got out of control." Mrs. Pines says.

"Is she alright?"

"They got to her in time. She'll be okay."

Mrs. Pines pulls back and releases a pained breath. Dipper gazes into space as tears form in his eyes again.

"We should go to bed." Mrs. Pines says.

"What about Mabel? And Dad?"

"He's staying overnight at the hospital. We'll go check up on them in the morning." Mrs. Pines says. Dipper's mother holds his hand as the two walk back upstairs.

Dipper walks into the twins' room as his mother says goodnight. It's nearly morning when Dipper finally falls back asleep. His mother wakes up first and walks downstairs and begins fiddling in the kitchen. Dipper wakes from his light sleep and gets out of the bed. He slowly remembers what happened the night before. He walks into the bathroom and washes his hands and brushes his teeth before returning to get dressed. Dipper walks down the stairs and joins his mother in the kitchen.

"How did you sleep?" she asks.

"Bad. I'm tired." Dipper says. His mother sits at the table and gives him a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

"Is it crunchy?" Dipper asks.

"No. There was an extra jar on the top shelf. I guess you didn't see it."

"No. I used the crunchy peanut butter."

"I'm sorry. I should have left the creamy one lower."

"Is Mabel okay?"

"Yeah. She's up. She doesn't remember what happened, but she should be fine. They got to her in time. You're a good brother, Dipper. If it weren't for you, Mabel… well, she might not be alive."

Dipper swallows nervously and takes a deep breath. His little heart can't stand the thought of being without Mabel.

"Can we go see her now?" Dipper asks.

"Don't you want to eat first?"

"I can eat in the car." Dipper says. Dipper and his mother hurry out the door. Dipper eats rapidly in the car; he's desperate to see Mabel. He needs to see her after everything that's happened. The twins' mother pulls up to the hospital. Dipper walks in, clenching onto his mother's hand with an iron grip. The two take the elevator and walk over to the children's section of the hospital. Unlike the rest of the hospital, the walls in the children's section are bright and colorful. Pictures of poorly drawn horses, dogs, and unicorns line the walls all around. But the childish area does little to settle Dipper's nerves. Dipper looks through the rooms, trying to spot Mabel. His mother takes him towards the end of the area. Dipper sees her. He pulls away from his mother and runs up. Mabel spots him and smiles. Dipper jumps into the bed with her and pulls close. He can't stand being separated any longer. Dipper cries again as he buries his face in her neck. Mabel wraps her arms around him and holds him close.

"You saved me. Thank you." Mabel says.

"You're welcome." Dipper mumbles. The twins' father is motioned away by his wife. He steps out of the room and moves away with her.

"What are they doing?" Mabel asks. Dipper turns and looks, seeing that his parents have left. Dipper moves out of the bed and goes to listen in on his parents' conversation.

"It's just… ugh, I don't know what to do." Mrs. Pines says.

"Just let it be. They're kids. They don't know any better."

"Well, they're going to need to keep separate rooms soon."

"That might just make it worse. Besides, being in the same room saved her life. I'd say let them have it for a few more years. They're only seven."

"But, it's just, he said they were going to get married."

"Yeah. My sister said the same thing. Now she'd punch me and laugh if I ever brought it up. They'll grow out of it."

Dipper returns to the room and gets back in the bed with Mabel.

"What were they talking about?"

"They don't want us to get married. They want to make us have two rooms." Dipper says grumpily.

"Well, then they're farts." Mabel says.

"But… well… if we do have separate rooms, we'll be together, right?"

"Always. Twins forever." Mabel says.

"Forever." Dipper agrees. Dipper pulls in close as he falls into a deep slumber, peacefully asleep for the first time in days.


End file.
